Titanian Floating Battery Captain-Lieutenant Gahiji
Captain-Lieutenant Gahiji is a non-commissioned floating battery built for the Titan Empery during the Overseas War. Completed in 730, the ship played a key role in the Nameless Isles Raid, and a smaller role in the First and Second Battle of Hasland over the course of the next two years. After Titanian forces had successfully captured the Greenmist Canal, she was towed to the nearby Fen Bight to defend the canal from any airbourne or naval attack. In 735, while anchored in the Fen Bight, she was run aground in a severe storm. She continues to guard the Greenmist Canal, with a manned crew. Development and description Captain-Lieutenant Gahiji ''was built shortly after the Titanian monitor ''Pamela was listed as a target ship, having her turrets removed. Initially bound for coastal defense guns on Cape Galtear, it was suggested that the rear turret be placed onto a new ship, as it showed no sign of malfunctions during sea trials, and work on a new "Artillery Barge" began in 3 January 729. Six months later, after the barge was over 50%, construction was halted after the Calanthish fleet sailed to and captured the Nameless Isles, in the process capturing the six Titanian ships anchored there despite attempts to scuttle the Forward Fleet. A week later, the Titanian monitors Swallow and General Nunga were scuttled to be used as blockships at the entrance of Port Nameless' harbor as the first stage of the Port Nameless bombings. Swallow was refloated, but General Nunga had suffered too much damage. Her gun turret, torpedo tubes, and spotting tower were removed. All but her main turret were then incorporated into the design of the Captain-Lieutenant Gahiji. With new equipment, and the Calanthish threat in Port Nameless neutralized for the moment, construction was restarted and completed on the new year's day of 730. Service History Captain-Lieutenant Gahiji was laid down on January 3rd, 729, and launched almost a full year later on January 1st. A few months later, the Nameless Isles were re-taken by the Calanthish, and together with an escort of four decommissioned, obsolete ironclad warships, and the subchaser Maubuck the Genius as flagship, sailed out to carry out what would become the Nameless Isles Raid. In the opening shots of the Raid, she successfully scored direct hits on light cruiser HLS Archanax, detonating her aft magazine, sinking that ship and critically damaging two others. Over the course of the raid, she disabled a further three more vessels, notably the corvette HLS Malachite, blowing her bow off with torpedo fire. While continuing to bombard the coast, the tugboat CX No. 1 that propelled the Floating Battery was struck by a torpedo fired from a Calanthish midget submarine that managed to escape the harbor unscathed. With low speed attributing to her lack of a bow, she was forced to withdraw from the engagement early, leaving the raid with the Ironclads Scarab and Tomorrower. She was anchored off Sponness' main harbor until time came to bombard the island of Hasland. She fired on Pellish ground troops with little to no effect during the first battle, and halfway through the second Battle she was bombed by Pellish flying boats, which inflicted severe damage on the turret. No longer able to withstand the shock of firing the guns, she pulled back to Sponness. She would be repaired on and off for the next three years, finally be considered sea worthy again in 735, a month after the Greenmist Canal was captured by Titanian forces. Towed to the nearby Fen Bight, she acts as permanent guardship over the canal.